Treating valve for pillows or the like



Jan. 25, 1955 r 5. C. TALISMAN TREATING VALVE FOR PILLOWS OR THE LIKE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 22, 1949 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

INVENTOR. SAMUEL C. TALISMAN BY Q ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1955 s. c. TALISMANv 2,700,165

TREATING VALVE FOR PILLOWS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 22, 1949 2Sheets-Sheet 2 H66 13 1 a: L

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INVENTOR.

SAMUEL C. TALISMAN ATTORNEY Unite States Patent TREATING VALVE FORPILLOWS OR THE LIKE Samuel C. Talisman, Cleveland, Ohio ApplicationJanuary 22, 1949, Serial No. 72,151

6 Claims. (Cl. -337) This invention relates to a pillow valve, andparticularly to a pillow valve for attachment to stuffed pillows for usein inserting a treating tool to communicate with the interior of thepillow.

One object of the invention is to provide a self-closing valveattachment for pillows, by which an elongated tubular nozzle of a vacuumsweeper or like device is insertable into the interior of the pillow forthe purpose of treating the usual pillow stuffing, as by aerating or forrenovating, purifying or changing the stuffing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve of the characterdescribed which is permanent part of the pillow but which will have nooutwardly projecting parts or parts which would otherwise interfere withnormal use of the pillow.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pillow valve attachmentof the character described which is easy to secure to the usual pillowcasing of fabric material without sewing the same or without requiringthe use of special tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pillow valve attachmentof the character described having improved self-closiug or self-sealingfeatures, including a flexible tube of rubber or like material whichwill not spread open when flexed or bent while in a pillow in normaluse.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pillow "ice Figure 11 isa fragmentary cross-section taken substantially on the line 11--11 ofFigure 10.

Referring particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 6, there is shown a pillowvalve embodying the features of the invention, the same beingincorporated into a pillow casing 11 of fabric or similar flexiblematerial.

As best shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 11, the valve 10 may includea fiat tube part 12 of vulcanized rubber or like resilient material(Figure 5), and a patch or base part 13 of strong, waterproof fabric orsimilar flexible material (see Fig. 7

The rubber tube, in vulcanized form thereof, has opposite walls 14 and15 normally flatly yieldingly engaging each other to seal the opening 16therethrough, and the Walls are tapered in thickness from the base orouter end to the opposite or inner end, the thickness at said inner endbeing approximately one-half the thickness at the outer end. Thetapering of the walls 14 and 15 assures effective sealing of the opening'16 in all conditions of the tubes, whether straight, bent or curved.The inner end of tube 12 is rounded or reduced in width to 1 reduce thesize of the opening 16 and to provide stop the tube.

valve attachment of the character described, including improved stopmeans for preventing projection of a vacuum nozzle or similar toolbeyond the inner end of a flexible valve tube, and which is alsoeffective to prevent back flow of pillow stuffing through the valve tubepast the inner end of said nozzle.

This and other objects of the invention will be manifest from thefollowing brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a top perspective view of an unfilled pillow casing havingone of the completed valve attachments incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially on the line22 of Figure 1, but illustrating the pillow casing having stufiingmaterial therein.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but illustrating the valve witha vacuum cleaner nozzle received in the valve tube.

Figure 4 is an edge view of a valve attachment embodying the features ofthe invention before application of the same to a pillow casing.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating a valve attachmentwith the valve patch removed, there- Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 7to 11, the tube 12 and patch-13 may be simply and economically assembledin the following manner. The patch, which may be rectangular in shape,is provided centrally thereof with a slit 21 of substantially the sizeof or slightly shorter than the tube opening 16 at the inner endthereof, and has a coating of initially tacky, waterproof adhesive onone side adapted to adhere the patch tenaciously to the fabric materialof the pillow. Two pieces 22 and 23 of Holland linen or other protectivematerial are furnished on the coated side of the patch to protect theadhesive, these pieces having abutting folded edge portions coincidentwith the line of the slit 21 (see Fig. 7). After peeling parts of thetwo pieces of linen 22 and 23 away from the patch of Figure 7, adjacentthe slit 21, the patch is folded or bent upon itself along the line ofthe slit, as shown in Figure 8, and is then applied between the tabs 19and 20 to adhere the same to the exposed adhesively coated portions ofthe patch, the

1 slit being aligned with the outer end of the tube opening 16. Untilthe valve is subsequently applied to a pillow casing the adhesive coatedportions of the patch outwardly of the tabs 19 and 20 may be covered bypressing the out-turned parts of the protective pieces back onto thepatch, as shown in Figure 9, or in chainfrom, or before attachment ofthe valve patch to the same.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially on the line6-6 of Figure 3, similarly illustrating the insertion of the vacuumnozzle into the valve attachment.

Figure 7 is a top perspective view of a valve patch which is a part of acompleted valve attachment.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a valve patch of Figure 7, bent and inposition for attachment to the valve tube of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view partly broken away of a valveattachment including the tubular part and the valve patch attachedthereto.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a completed valve attachment as shown inFigure 9.

dotted lines in Figure 4.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the improved valve is appliedto a pillow casing 11 by inserting the tube 12 through a slit 21provided in the seam of the casing, as by opening a length of thestitching S, this being done after removing the Holland linen pieces 22and 23 adhering the adhesively coated side of the patch 13 to the outersurface of the pillow casing. As the slit 21 of the patch 13 is shorterthan the width of opening 16 and as the patch is large enough to providea continuous adhesively coated marginal edge portion of the samecompletely around the slit, a perfect seal is provided completely aroundthe slit in the pillow casing (see Figures 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, l0 and 11).

In the use of the valve 10 in a pillow casing 11 for treating the usualstuffing 24 a flat, elongated tubular nozzle 25, of proper size andattached to a conduit of a vacuum sweeper (not shown), is inserted intothe opening 16 of the tube 12, until the end of the nozzle engages thereduced end portions 18 (see Fig. 6). In this position of the nozzle thetube 12 will be expanded open to communicate the end opening of thenozzle with the interior of the pillow. Accordingly, by means of thenozzle air may be blown into the pillow casing to aerate the stuffing24, for example. A similar nozzle or tool may be used for removing orreplacing the stufling, or

Will be opened at its inner end, and at the same time serves as stopmeans to prevent the nozzle from being projected beyond said inner endof the tube, which might result in stuffing material being blownoutwardly between the tube and the nozzle. Because of the flexibility oftube 12, it may be turned with the nozzle to various angles with respectto the patch or base 13, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Figures 3 and6, during treating operations as desired.

As soon as the nozzle is withdrawn the tube 12 will contract to closethe opening 16 therethrough, by reason of the inherent tendency of thetube to resume normal vulcanized shape. This is true whether the tube isstraight, as shown in Figure 2, or bent or curved, because of thepreviously described tapered wall construction of the tube. Moreover,when the pillow is used, as for a head rest for instance, there are nohard parts on the valve, or outwardly projecting parts thereon, to causediscomfort to the user.

Thus, the improved valve is readily attachable to a fabric pillow orlike article, without necessarily requiring sewing, and withoutrequiring any substantial amount of skill. The adhesive material used onthe patch preferably is of known type which will in time substantiallypermanently bond the patch to the pillow casing.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve for attachment to a pillow or like casing of the typecontaining stuffing material, comprising an elongated tube having outerand inner ends with respect to a said casing interior, and means at anouter end of said tube for attaching said valve to said casing with saidtube extending into the interior of a said casing through a slittherein, said tube being of molded, flexible elastic material andflattened with opposite flattened \yalls thereof held in contact witheach other by the inherent tendency of the tube to resume normal moldedshape and thereby normally maintaining the opening through the tube inclosed condition, said opening being of substantially uniform widthalong a substantial proportion of the length of the tube from the outerend of the same, said tube being adapted yieldingly to receive atreating tool through said opening thereof to communicate with theinterior of said casing for purposes of treating the stufiing of thecasing by means of the tool, said attaching means comprising integralextensions of said fiat walls at said outer ends of the tube providingflaps disposed at opposite sides of the corresponding end of the tubeopening, and a patch of flexible material having a slit therein oflength substantially the same as the width of the tube opening at saidouter end thereof, said flaps being adhesively secured to said patch atopposite sides of said slit of the patch, the inner side of the patchhaving adhesive attaching material on a substantial area thereof foradhesion of the patch to the outer surface portions of said casingaround a said slit of the same.

2. A valve as set forth in claim 1, the width of said tube beingabruptly tapered widthwise at said inner end thereof to reduce the widthof the tube opening correspondingly at said inner end and to provide astop engageable by said tool.

3. A valve for attachment to a pillow or like casing of the typecontaining stufiing material, comprising an elongated tube having outerand inner ends with respect to a said casing interior, and means at anouter end of said tube for attaching said valve to said casing with saidtube extending into the interior of a said casing through a slittherein, said tube being of molded, flexible elastic material andflattened with opposite flattened walls there of held in contact witheach other by the inherent tendency of the tube to resume normal moldedshape and thereby normally maintaining the opening through the tube inclosed condition, said tube being adapted yieldingly to receive atreating tool through said opening thereof to communicate with theinterior of said casing for purposes of treating the stuffing of thecasing by means of the tool, said attaching means comprising integralextensions of said flat walls at said outer ends of the tube providingflaps disposed at opposite sides of the corresponding end of the tubeopening, and a patch of flexible material having a slit therein, saidflaps being adhesively secured to said patch at opposite sides of saidslit of the patch, the inner side of the patch having adhesive attachingmaterial on a substantial area thereof for adhesion of the patch to theouter surface portions of said casing around a said slit of the same,said flaps extending to at least the full width of said tube, and saidslit in said patch being shorter than said width of the tube.

4. A valve for attachment to a pillow or like casing containing loosestuffing material, comprising an elongated fiat tube which is thin andflexible, means for attaching said valve to a said casing with said tubeextending into the interior of the casing, said tube being of molded,flexible elastic material and having opposite flat walls thereofnormally held in air sealing contact with each other along the entirelength thereof by the inherent tendency of the tube to resume normalmolded shape and thereby defining a slit-like, normally closed openingthrough the tube, said opening being of substantially uniform widthalong a substantial proportion of the length of the tube from the outerend of the same, said tube thereby being adapted to be yieldinglyexpanded along its entire length by a hollow tool insertable inwardlythrough said opening thereof to communicate with the interior of saidcasing for purposes of treating the stuffing of said casing by means ofthe tool.

A valve as set forth in claim 4, said opposite flat walls beingrelatively thin and diminishing in thickness from the outer to the innerends thereof.

6. A valve as set forth in claim 4, the width of said tube beingabruptly tapered widthwise at said inner end thereof to reduce the widthof the tube opening correspondingly at said inner end and to provide astop engageable by said tool, said opposite flat walls diminishing inthickness from the outer to the inner ends thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS587,224 McKelvey July 27, 1897 1,008,641 Gregory Nov. 14, 1911 1,262,510Kelly Apr. 9, 1918 1,596,520 Eskholme Aug. 17, 1926 1,618,676 Reach Feb.22, 1927 1,702,974 MacDonald Feb. 19, 1929 1,756,183 Dunlap Apr. 29,1930 1,800,178 Cooper et al Apr. 7, 1931 1,809,259 Williams June 9, 19311,861,102 Teer May 31, 1932 1,930,107 Rang Oct. 10, 1933 2,012,935 SmithAug. 27, 1935 2,118,486 Buchman May 24, 1938 2,524,764 Burke Oct. 10,1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 402,638 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1933 424,451 GreatBritain of 1935

